The scenes on the television are surreal. Buildings and cars and trains and boats tossed around and floating in water like so many discarded toys in a flooded garbage dump. Fire. And now, a potential (or already partial) nuclear meltdown. … Continue reading →
The terrible earthquake and tsunami last night in Japan recalls the fact that tsunami is a Japanese word: The term “Tsunami” comes from the Japanese word for harbor (tsu) and wave (nami). The origins of the word are not surprising … Continue reading →
There’s a sense of deja vu for us boomers in reports such as this one that reflect a renewed government interest in telling people what to do in the case of a nuclear blast. Those of us who go back … Continue reading →
I first read the superb book Alive back when it came out in the mid-70s, and immediately became fascinated by the harrowing tale it tells of the survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash. I wrote a little bit about … Continue reading →
[Bumped up.] My new piece is up at RightNetwork. In it, I compare the leaders who emerged under two extreme survival situations in South America: the recent Chilean mine accident, and the Andes plane crash of 1972 that inspired the … Continue reading →
Nine years. So much has happened since then that it seems as though we’re a different country now. And not a better one. For a while it seemed the legacy of 9/11 would be a unity of purpose, a stunned … Continue reading →
A deadly stampede has occurred in Germany, especially terrible because most of those killed were young people. As Matthias Roeingh, one of the organizers of the event (ironically) called the Love Parade said, “one single entrance through a tunnel lends … Continue reading →
Even many of Obama’s supporters have became impatient with his lack of energetic leadership on the Gulf oil spill. But why would they have expected any different? Obama has almost never shown that characteristic—and he’s been praised for that fact … Continue reading →
By now you have probably heard the news of the crash of Air India Flight IX-812. The plane overshot the runaway and broke into pieces, bursting into flames. Fire seems to have claimed the lives of most of the passengers … Continue reading →
…gang aft agley An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy! What is the moral to this story?: If U.S. officials had followed up on a 1994 response plan for a major Gulf oil spill, it is … Continue reading →
The Gulf oil spill is very disturbing in its scope. Not only did it kill eleven people, but it now threatens the huge fishing industry in the region, not to mention wildlife and beaches that are beautiful and drive the … Continue reading →
It is impossible not to suspect that foul play was involved in the plane crash death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski in Russia: Polish President Lech Kaczynski and some of the country’s highest military and civilian leaders died on Saturday … Continue reading →